obstetric cholestasis

[montym]

5 years ago I had OC with DD1. Now I am 35 weeks pg again and get woken up at night with the persistent itching that feels like I have been bitten by a load of mosquitoes. I have been tested twice so far for OC in this pregnancy, both tests came back negative. Is it worth going back for a 3rd test or just put this down to me being neurotic?!

I would always err on the side of caution. My friend was tested a couple of times in her second to last pregnancy and she tested negative about 3 times it was the 4th after a few weeks that came back positive.

I think to be safe I would get it shecked.

I would insist on getting it checked again tbh.

Didn't get OC with DD1, but did with DD2. Now pg with Number 3, I wonder whether it will affect me again...Mw said they will keep a close eye on it all, which is quite reassuring.

Definitely get checked again, asap, and keep an eye on the baby's movements for any change at all. Whether less or more.

Montym - go back and get checked again. Were you itchy when you were tested previously? I thought I was wasting time when I was pg, but MW told me they would rather send me away healthy than I didn't get checked and something happened to either me or the baby.

I had typical OC with DD, but with DS I had the itching and raised LFTs which started around 36 weeks, but my bile acids stayed low. My hospital treated me as if I had OC due to my history and monitored me every other day and induced at 38 weeks (had been induced at 36 weeks with DD as they couldn't control my LFTs and were worried about my health). I had been under consultant-led care due to my previous OC which may have helped?

Good luck and as has already been said make sure you are counting those movements!

Hello montym i had this in my last preg i itched ALL over until i was raw, had my midwife very nervous and concerned, yet all test came back negative, i still persisted and got testes every couple of days for the remaining couple of weeks of my preg, always came back neg, midwife and consultant mystified, never had it with my 2 prev preg's very very strange, agree with TTM - keep an extra extra watch on movements and make your worries and concerns clear, dont be fobbed off!

get it checked again.

I had it with my 1st, when I was pg with my 2nd, they checked for it weekly from something like 30 weeks. 30, 31, 32 and 33 week tests were negative, 34 week test positive.

Anyway, it's not so much positive/negative - they should be looking at the trends in your weekly tests - mine were obviously increasing before the levels became high enough for a diagnosis.

No health professional in their right mind should refuse an itching 3rd trimester woman another OC test!

Thanks ladies.I went back to the GP on Monday. He was very sceptical and tried to assure me that the severe itching that was keeping me awake all night and making my skin bleed was a normal pregnancy symptom that could be cured by hypnosis
Having eventually agreed to do a blood test, the results have come back showing I do indeed have OC. They have given me URSO which I am hoping will get rid of the itching soon, but apparently it is not usual procedure these days to be induced. I am seeing the consultant tomorrow, so at least they are trying to do something now they now I am not just making it all up!

Are you sure its not procedure to be induced? Are you on Facebook? I recommend this group if you are:

www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=5606765039

The organiser, Jenny Chambers, is the lady that runs the OC support group and she can advise you on the latest advice?

These days, some consultants induce, some don't, some are happy to do it either way depending on the patient.

I had DS in 2006 and there was no question about it, they wanted him induced at 37 weeks and monitored every day from 34-37 weeks.

I had DD in 2008, she's only 14m now, and at that time (at a different hospital), some staff were pro induction and some were against it. My consultant knew that DS had been induced at 37 weeks and he thought that he would induce DD at 37 weeks as well and I agreed. At the time, there was some "new research", but in fact very little is known about OC and I am wondering if the "cure" has always been preterm delivery, how did they have anyone to study - did they choose some people not to have the preterm delivery - sounds pretty unethical to me and I wanted to be better safe than sorry.

How far did you get with your DD1? Personally I was not willing to go any further into my 2nd pregnancy than I had done with my 1st pregnancy.

I agree with you Crokky. DD1 was induced at just under 37 weeks and I can find no evidence to support not inducing. I really want this dc to be born around 37 weeks too, in my mind it is just not worth taking the risk of leaving it any longer. I will do my best to persuade the consultant of that this afternoon!

I agree, better to induce than to trust it won't go wrong. I was induced with both of mine. Let us know how you get on...

Well it took some persuading but the consultant has agreed to book me in for an induction 7 July, which will be 38 weeks. Now I just have to hope the URSO takes effect soon as this itching is still driving me bananas...

That's great news monty!

Fantastic news, hope the URSO kicks in soon!